


Fifteen Minutes

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren (Comics)
Genre: After All No One Said This Didn’t Happen, Angst, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is Not Nice, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Missing Scene, Offscreen character death, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Ren Isn’t A Complete Asshole, The Dark Side Sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24279505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Ren gives Ben time to say goodbye to Poe.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Gen Prompt Bingo Round 18





	Fifteen Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Episode Tags and Missing Scenes
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

They gave him black clothes. Black. It was Vicrul who said that it would fit him. “If you are to be one of us,” he said, “Dressing the part is...advisable.”  
  
_Right._ Ben couldn’t help but feel a certain unease in the pit of his stomach. It seemed that it was yet another example of how he was stepping flawlessly into the role of another legacy. So many legacies to live up to — couldn’t he just be _Ben?_ What would it be like if he was just Ben, without the expectations that legacies entailed?  
  
_I must even look like him._ He wondered if Anakin Skywalker had the same trepidation, choosing the path he did. (Of course, Anakin had done what he did for Padme. Ben did what he did for all sorts of reasons, including Poe) _Just a copy, carrying on the mistakes..._  
  
Except, would he? What if he got it right this time?  
  
The Knights fortunately left him to change by himself. Ben was glad for that. He doubted he was comfortable with them seeing him naked. Even changing out of his tattered Jedi robes (Ren was right; they were damaged. No retrieving them) and into cleaner black clothes, he couldn’t help but think of the man that he hadn’t mentioned to Ren.  
  
Poe.  
  
If he hadn’t been on an off-world mission —  
  
He walked out briefly to speak to Vicrul. “I have to speak to someone,” he said.  
  
“You will not betray the Knights,” Vicrul said.  
  
“And I won’t,” Ben said. “Really. I just want to say goodbye to someone.”  
  
Vicrul walked away. Presumably to bring Ren over.  
  
“Your friend?” Ren said. “The pilot? You know that he’ll tell the others, kid.”  
  
“That’s why I won’t tell him everything,” Ben said. “Really.”  
  
Ren paused. Then, “You know you can’t see him again, kid. That’s the way it has to be.” A beat. “But I’ll give you...fifteen minutes?"  
  
Ben nodded. He supposed that it was the closest thing to kindness that Ren was capable of. Someone who was just about everything Ben wanted to be, and everything he dreaded being all at once.  
  
***  
  
It was as Ben contacted Poe that he noticed that Poe looked disheveled, even in disarray. Then, “Ben? What happened? Your mother said something bad happened at the Temple...”  
  
How was he supposed to tell Poe the truth? That Luke had drawn his lightsaber on his own nephew? That Ben hadn’t destroyed the Temple, but he good as did? It was something that he didn’t know how to tell Poe. _It will destroy him,_ he thought, and he couldn’t bear to do that.  
  
“The Temple burned,” Ben said. “Just about everyone’s dead. Except for Voe, Tai and Hennix. They were off-world when it happened.”  
  
Poe looked like he’d been struck. _Good job not destroying him, Ben,_ Ben thought sarcastically.  
  
“And you,” he said. “Stars, Ben, I’m sorry.”  
  
Ben nodded. “I have to go,” he said. “There’s someone stronger than my uncle could ever offer. He’ll finish what my uncle started. I know this.”  
  
“On your own?” Poe wasn’t crying. Ben could feel the pain in his voice nonetheless, see it in his eyes.  
  
“There’s others with me,” Ben said. “Poe — whatever you do, stay behind. Keep the Republic strong.”  
  
“Oh, no you’re not. You’re not doing this to me. To your family.”  
  
“I have to,” Ben said. “This is who I really am.”  
  
Poe looked like his heart was breaking.  
  
“It wasn’t you,” Ben said. As if that would soften the blow. “You were more than enough, Poe. You always were. I just wasn’t good at what I did. You always were. You had your battles, but you won them. Don’t doubt what you did. Never never.”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
Of course Poe would say that. What would he say that Poe didn’t already know? Even what he hadn’t told Poe outright? How he would kill the galaxy for him, how he had brought light to Ben’s life, just through his kindness, just through his wit and conviction?  
  
“I always knew,” Ben said. “And I love you. Don’t doubt what you’ve done, Poe. Never never.”  
  
The transmission ended and Ben’s breathing came in shallow. He was already hyperventilating — of course, both sides of the Force said to cut off attachments, but why did it _hurt?_  
  
A knock on the door. “Up, kid,” Ren said. Ben could feel Ren’s emotions warring — exasperation, and yet a sad sort of familiarity. “Knights of Ren don’t let their grief hold them down. They stand back up, use it as fuel. Call this lesson one.”  
  
Was it weirdly inspirational? Ben didn’t know. Either way, getting to his feet, he supposed Ren was right. Use his broken heart and his rage as fuel.  
  
And it didn’t kick in until later, but when Kylo Ren felt it...it was power enough.


End file.
